In prior cheese making processes, whole milk was typically subjected to natural cheese making processes and subsequently used as a component for making process cheese products. In other prior approaches, whole milk with added cream was concentrated using ultrafiltration and cultures and/or enzymes were added, followed by adjusting the moisture content. Use of ultrafiltration without microfiltration resulted in retention of whey proteins, which can contribute to melt restriction and undesirable softening of process cheese products. In further prior approaches, cheese making processes involve acidification prior to ultrafiltration. However, the production of acidified precursors provide challenges to filtration and to controlling the pH of the final product.